different between homeless vs hobo

English

Etymology

From Middle English *homles, *hamles, from Old English h?ml?as (“homeless”), equivalent to home +? -less. Cognate with Danish hjemløs (“homeless”), Swedish hemlös (“homeless”), Dutch heemloos. Compare also German heimatlos (“homeless”), Icelandic heimilislaus (“homeless”).

Pronunciation

• (General American) IPA^(key): /?ho?ml?s/, /?ho?ml?s/

Adjective

homeless (not comparable)

1. Lacking a permanent place of residence.

   Whenever I pass the park, I see the homeless people sleeping on the benches.

Derived terms

• homeless dumping
• homeless shelter
• homelessness

Related terms

• home

Descendants

• ? Japanese: ????? (h?muresu)

Translations

See also

• bum
• destitute
• tramp
• transient
• vagabond
• unhoused

English

Etymology

Unknown. Possibly a term for a stowaway traveler out of the Hoboken, NJ train yards, or a contraction of ho, boy, or the dialectal English term hawbuck (“lout, clumsy fellow, country bumpkin”). It could also be an abbreviation for homeless boy, homeward bound, or homeless Bohemian.

Pronunciation

• enPR: h?'b?, IPA^(key): /?h??.b??/
• Rhymes: -??b??

Noun

hobo (plural hobos or hoboes)

1. (Canada, US) A wandering homeless person, especially (historical) one illegally travelling by rail or (derogatory) a penniless, unemployed bum.
2. (Canada, US) Any migratory laborer, whether homeless or not.
3. A kind of large handbag.
   • 1989, Susan Ludwig, Janice Steinberg, Petite Style (page 46)

     Avoid bulky styles such as duffle sacks, buckets, doctors' satchels, and hobos.

Usage notes

• Often used attributively, as if an adjective. For example, "hobo stew", "he was leading a hobo life."
• Although informal usage considers hobo synonymous with bum, self-proclaimed hobos sometimes distinguish themselves as migrant workers rather than unemployed bums.

Synonyms

• See also Thesaurus:vagabond

Derived terms

Translations

Verb

hobo (third-person singular simple present hobos, present participle hoboing, simple past and past participle hoboed)

1. (intransitive, perhaps pejorative) To be a hobo, tramp, bum etc.

   Joe idly hoboed through half the country till he realized hoboing never gets you anywhere in life.

References

Anagrams

• Boho, boho

Afrikaans

Etymology

From Dutch hobo, from French hautbois.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /????b??/

Noun

hobo (plural hobo's, diminutive hobootjie)

1. oboe

Dutch

Etymology

Borrowed from French hautbois, from Middle French [Term?].

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /?o??bo?/
• Hyphenation: ho?bo
• Rhymes: -o?

Noun

hobo m (plural hobo's, diminutive hobootje n)

1. oboe (woodwind)

Derived terms

• hoboïst

Japanese

Romanization

hobo

1. R?maji transcription of ??